A sweeping federal civil rights lawsuit is putting the Oconto Falls School District under an unforgiving spotlight, with three former students accusing the district of tolerating a long-running pattern of grooming and sexual abuse by school staff over the last 15 to 20 years. The complaint names multiple current and former employees and asks a federal judge in Milwaukee for money damages and institutional reforms. Attorneys for the plaintiffs say they want to force changes inside the district and encourage other survivors to come forward.
What the complaint says
The suit, filed March 11 in federal court in Milwaukee, alleges the district “allowed a climate to flourish” in which students were groomed and abused from about 2005 through 2025. It identifies three named plaintiffs and, according to the filing, points to as many as 19 victims and at least nine alleged perpetrators. As reported by the Wisconsin Law Journal, lead counsel says the case is aimed squarely at institutional failures and asks the court to order changes to district policies, staff training and reporting practices.
Accused staff and criminal cases
The complaint calls out several Oconto Falls employees by name, including Brynn Larsen and Gayle Gander, and also accuses another staff member, David Heisel, of grooming a student, according to local reporting. WBAY reports that Larsen pleaded no contest in 2021 and was sentenced to two years in prison for a sexual relationship with a student. Court records and coverage from the Oconto County Times Herald show that Gander was arrested in December 2025 and faces 11 felony counts. He waived a preliminary hearing, and an arraignment was scheduled for March 26.
District response and attorney remarks
The Oconto Falls School District issued a statement saying the specific allegations had already been reported and that the district took action, including cooperating with law enforcement, NBC 26 reported. Lead counsel Cass Casper said the lawsuit followed survivors finding each other on social media and described the case as a push for systemic change. “This kind of conduct must stop in our school systems,” Casper said, according to the Wisconsin Law Journal.
Why this matters now
The case lands at a moment when state lawmakers have already turned up the heat. Gov. Tony Evers recently signed bills that define grooming as a crime and require school districts to adopt rules limiting staff and student communications, increasing the legal pressure on districts accused of tolerating abusive conduct. Reporting on the new laws highlights fresh penalties and a push for clearer school policies. The Center Square via Yahoo summarized the changes.
Legal claims and next steps
The plaintiffs filed the case as a federal civil rights action that leans on Title IX and related theories of school liability. Federal guidance treats sexual harassment by educators and a district’s deliberate indifference as potential grounds for legal responsibility, the U.S. Department of Education explains. The Education Department notes that schools receiving federal funds must respond promptly when employees know about sexual harassment. Attorneys for the former students say they plan to use discovery to probe district policies, prior complaints and who knew what, and when.
Disparti Law Group held a morning news conference as the complaint hit the Milwaukee docket, urging any other potential victims to contact the firm and stressing that this filing is only the start of a longer legal process that could involve depositions, pretrial motions and possibly a trial. The district has declined to comment beyond its written statement, and local outlets report that the case will now move forward in federal court in Milwaukee while related criminal prosecutions involving some of the named staff continue in state court. WBAY has additional details from the complaint and the district’s response.
